Senior Manager - Travel Management

Key Roles & Responsibilities

Primary Role Description: - To manage the end-to-end corporate travel program, workplace operations, vendor strategies, and technology integrations across domestic and international locations. The primary focus is optimizing travel spend through strategic commercial negotiations while enforcing governance policies, driving automation, and delivering high traveler satisfaction.

Key Roles & Responsibilities:

• End-to-End Program & Operations Governance: Oversee domestic and international travel operations—including air, hotel, visa, forex, cabs, and insurance—while enforcing policy compliance, approval workflows, and risk management protocols.
• Vendor Sourcing & Strategic Contracting: Spearhead RFPs, commercial evaluations, pricing negotiations, and SLA monitoring with airlines, hotels, cab aggregators, travel agencies, and technology partners.
• Travel Technology & Process Automation: Implement and manage Self-Booking Tools (SBTs) and automated cab platforms to boost online adoption, streamline GPS-based billing, and eliminate manual processes.
• Cost Optimization & Data Analytics: Drive organization-wide cost savings initiatives, manage billing and GST reconciliations, and deliver MIS reports and analytics to guide executive decision-making.
• Stakeholder Alignment & Change Management: Collaborate with HR, Finance, IT, and Procurement, while training teams, creating SOPs, and using feedback to elevate traveler experience.

Key Requirements – Education & Certificates

Graduate (B.Com preferred); IATA Certification, Lean Six Sigma, or relevant travel management diplomas strongly preferred.

Key Requirements - Experience & Skills

• 15+ Years of Industry Experience: Proven track record in corporate travel program management, domestic/international travel desk operations, and workplace/transportation services.
• Vendor Sourcing & Strategic Contracting: Strong expertise in RFPs, commercial evaluations, contract negotiations, rate discussions, and SLA management across airlines, hotels, travel agencies, forex, and cab providers.
• Travel Technology & Automation: Experience in implementing and managing Self-Booking Tools (SBTs like Quest2Travel, MakeMyTrip, Yatra) and automated GPS-based cab platforms.
• Financial Acumen & Cost Optimization: Skilled in travel budget optimization, data analytics, MIS reporting, dashboarding, vendor billing reconciliation, and GST alignment.
• Certifications & Systems Expertise: IATA qualification or Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification, with working knowledge of GDS platforms (Amadeus, Galileo).